There is no sign of acceleration, in fact there is a deceleration since 1999.

Anything above this level must be based on models. Clearly the models predictions must match observations to be valid. They are not.

The author states that:
"Scientists predict a 3-foot sea-level rise would occur by 2100."
This is simply untrue and false information. The IPCC 4th assesment report provides a range of sea level rise estimates from 7-23 inches. Perhaps the author should do a little research.

Why not look at the other ice cap Sandy? After all it holds 90% of the worlds fresh water and if it were to melt it would affect sea level. If all of the arctic sea ice melted, it would not affect sea levels.

Posted by Sandy's right, just ask Christie
a resident of Los Altos Hills
on Sep 23, 2013 at 4:08 pm

"On 13 September, the expanse of frozen water in the Arctic fell to 5.10 million square kilometres (1.97 million square miles), the sixth-lowest such measurement on record, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) said in a statement. The annual minimum was not as extreme as the collapse of sea ice last year, which smashed through all records. But it was still well below the average of the last three decades.

"The overall trend is still decidedly downwards," the NSIDC director, Mark Serreze, said in a statement. "The pattern we've seen so far is an overall downward trend in summer ice extent, punctuated by ups and downs due to natural variability in weather patterns and ocean conditions."

He went on: "We could be looking at summers with essentially no sea ice on the Arctic Ocean only a few decades from now."

Get real.

"The annual minimum was not as extreme as the collapse of sea ice last year, which smashed through all records. But it was still well below the average of the last three decades."

Hey sandy, I never mentioned that the arctic ice has not declined. I am well aware that it has. I mentioned that the antarctic has increased. Why are you telling me to "get real" when I never disputed the arctic decrease? I also stated that the arctic sea ice melt will not change sea level, which is what the article is about.

While there are plenty of measurements on a micro scale in recent years, warming and cooling are all a part of weather. Earth has ice ages, "little" ice ages and subsequent warming periods. There have been "warmer" periods followed by subsequent cooling periods.

All of those things are beside the point in regard to the Keystone pipeline. Opposition to this pipeline is based upon little more than hysteria. The benefits far outweigh the claimed "costs." Besides, the oil will still be drilled and exported -- no matter WHICH NATION has access to it. If we don't get the oil, China and other international competitors will.

If anything, we should keep oil from the Western Hemisphere in the Western Hemisphere.

Posted by rick
a resident of Midtown
on Sep 23, 2013 at 9:52 pmrick is a registered user.

Wow, the bay's new shoreline? How many people have actually looked into Matadero Creek at Greer Road at high tide to see for themselves how much higher the water can get before reaching street level? Looks like more than 3 feet to me.

That's not to say we won't have occasional floods. I remember those neighborhoods being underwater in 1958.